How to Restore Windows XP Manually
This applies when you have got either :-
"The Blue Screen of Death"
and/or
"No Safe Mode Access"
-: from using the Windows XP Installation CD "Recovery Console"
Web Root Link
Part 1
Put the XP CD in the drive, and restart.
When it says "press any key to boot from CD," go ahead, press any key and
you're on your way to the Recovery Console.
NB
If it doesn't give you a choice to boot from your CD drive, go into your
computer's BIOS and make the adjustment for it to boot from CD.
It'll look like you're re-installing Windows XP.
Now when you see the screen that asks you if you want to install Windows, don't!
Just hit R for recover, and you'll see the ominous Recovery Console.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Windows(R) Recovery Console
The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.
1: C:\WINDOWS
Which Windows Installation would you like to log onto
(To cancel, press ENTER)?
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Hit the number 1 on your keyboard , or whichever number corresponds to the
operating system you are using.
Enter your administrator password, and hit the [Enter] key.
(If you don't know your administrator password, just try hitting the [Enter] key.)
You're in!
There are three parts to this process, they take much less time than
reinstalling Windows XP and all your applications.
Each command must be typed exactly as you see it here.
Please note that this procedure assumes that Windows XP is installed to the "C:\Windows" folder.
Make sure to change "C:\Windows" to the appropriate windows folder if it's at a different location.
The copy commands will answer you with a little "file copied" message.
The delete commands just move on to the next line.
Type the whole command in one line, then, hit the [Enter] key.
Be sure to include the spaces:
md tmp
copy C:\windows\system32\config\system C:\windows\tmp\system.bak
copy C:\windows\system32\config\software C:\windows\tmp\software.bak
copy C:\windows\system32\config\sam C:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
copy C:\windows\system32\config\security C:\windows\tmp\security.bak
copy C:\windows\system32\config\default C:\windows\tmp\default.bak
delete C:\windows\system32\config\system
delete C:\windows\system32\config\software
delete C:\windows\system32\config\Sam
delete C:\windows\system32\config\security
delete C:\windows\system32\config\default
copy C:\windows\repair\system C:\windows\system32\config\system
copy C:\windows\repair\software C:\windows\system32\config\software
copy C:\windows\repair\sam C:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy C:\windows\repair\security C:\windows\system32\config\security
copy C:\windows\repair\default C:\windows\system32\config\default
If you have access to another computer, to save time, you can copy the text above,
and then create a text file called "regcopy1.txt" (for example).
Run the following command when you start in Recovery Console:
batch regcopy1.txt
With the batch command in Recovery Console, you can process all the commands in a
text file sequentially. When you use the batch command, you do not have to manually
type as many commands.
Part 2
Here you'll copy the saved registry files from their backed up location by "System Restore".
Before you start this procedure, you'll need to change several settings to make that folder visible:
1. Start Windows Explorer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Under Hidden files and folders, click to select Show hidden files and folders, and
then click to clear the "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)" check box.
5. Click Yes when the dialog box is displayed that confirms that you want to display these files.
6. Double-click the drive where you installed Windows XP to get a list of the folders.
It's important to click the correct drive.
7. Open the System Volume Information folder. This folder appears dimmed because
it is set as a super-hidden folder. If you're using the FAT32 file system, this
will be easy. If you're using NTFS, it won't let you open the folder, here's
how to get around that: Right-click on that system volume information folder and
select Sharing and Security. Then click the Security tab.
7a. Only if you don't see a Security tab!
Click to select the checkboxes
in the "Network sharing and security" area -- one is labeled
"Share this folder on the network"
and the other is labeled
"Allow network users to change my files."
Change the share name to something short, like sysinfo.
Then it'll let you in. After you're done with this entire rescue operation,
you might want to go back and change these back to the way they were before,
for maximum security.
7. (cont) Click Add, and then in the box that's labeled
"Enter the object names to select,"
Make sure you type the name the way it's listed there on the Start Menu.
Type Everything exactly how it's written on the top of the Start menu.
After you've typed that in, click OK a couple of times and you will be let in.
NOTE : This folder contains one or more _restore {GUID} folders such as
_restore{87BD3667-3246-476B-923F-F86E30B3E7F8}
8. Open a folder that was not created at the current time. You may have to click Details
on the View menu to see when these folders were created. There may be one or more
folders starting with "RP x under this folder. These are restore points.
9. Open one of these folders to locate a Snapshot subfolder; the following path is
an example of a folder path to the Snapshot folder:
C:\System Volume Information\_restore{D86480E3-73EF-47BC-A0EB-A81BE6EE3ED8}RP1Snapshot
From the Snapshot folder, copy the following files to the "C:\windows\tmp" folder
(you can use your mouse):
_registry_user_.default
_registry_machine_security
_registry_machine_software
_registry_machine_system
_registry_machine_sam
Rename the files in the C:\Windows\Tmp folder as follows:
• Rename _REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT to DEFAULT
• Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY to SECURITY
• Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE to SOFTWARE
• Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM to SYSTEM
• Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM to SAM
Part 3
Now to place those files you just made visible to the "Recovery Console" where they belong.
Make sure your Windows CD is in the drive, and reboot from CD.
Type R after it goes through that file-reading routine that looks like an install but isn't.
Here you delete the existing registry files, and then copy the
"System Restore Registry" files to the "C:\Windows\System32\Config" folder:
From the "Recovery Console", type the following commands:
Type the whole command in one line, then, hit the [Enter] key.
Be sure to include the spaces:
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default
delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\tmp\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\tmp\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\tmp\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\tmp\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\tmp\default c:\windows\system32\config\default
If you have access to another computer, to save time, you can copy the text above,
and then create a text file called "regcopy2.txt" (for example).
Run the following command when you start in Recovery Console:
batch regcopy2.txt
With the batch command in Recovery Console, you can process all the commands in a
text file sequentially. When you use the batch command, you do not have to manually
type as many commands.
Now. You're done!
Type exit and your computer will reboot into whichever restore file you chose.
Part 4
If it's not the right one, that's OK, you can now go into your System Restore area
and pick a different restore point if you want.
There's a whole calendar full of them in there.
It can restore about any state you had on that machine.
Here's how to get into that restore area if you're not happy with the current
restore point:
1. Click Start, then click All Programs.
2. Click Accessories, and then click System Tools.
3. Click System Restore, and then click Restore to a previous Restore Point.
End
Web Root Link
Link to the Article this guide is Based upon
Microsoft How to gain access to the System Volume Information folder
Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition Using the FAT32 File System
1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
3. On the View tab, click Show hidden files and folders.
4. Clear the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) check box.
Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the change.
5. Click OK.
6. Double-click the System Volume Information folder in the root folder to open it.
Windows XP Professional Using the NTFS File System on a Domain
1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
3. On the View tab, click Show hidden files and folders.
4. Clear the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) check box.
Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the change.
5. Click OK.
6. Right-click the System Volume Information folder in the root folder, and then click Sharing and Security.
7. Click the Security tab.
8. Click Add, and then type the name of the user to whom you want to give access to the folder.
Choose the account location if appropriate (either local or from the domain).
Typically, this is the account with which you are logged on. Click OK, and then click OK again.
9. Double-click the System Volume Information folder in the root folder to open it.
Windows XP Professional using the NTFS File System on a Workgroup or Standalone Computer
1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
3. On the View tab, click Show hidden files and folders.
4. Clear the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) check box.
Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the change.
5. Clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box.
6. Click OK.
7. Right-click the System Volume Information folder in the root folder, and then click Properties.
8. Click the Security tab.
9. Click Add, and then type the name of the user to whom you want to give access to the folder.
Typically, this is the account with which you are logged on. Click OK, and then click OK again.
10. Double-click the System Volume Information folder in the root folder to open it.
NOTE: The System Volume Information folder is now accessible in normal mode to users of Windows XP Home Edition.
Using CACLS with Windows XP Home Edition Using the NTFS File System
In Windows XP Home Edition with the NTFS file system, you can also use the Cacls tool,
which is a command-line tool, to display or modify file or folder access control lists (ACLs).
For more information about the Cacls tool, including usage and switches,
search the Help and Support Center for "cacls."
1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. Make sure that you are in the root folder of the partition for which you want to
gain access to the System Volume Information folder.
For example, to gain access the C:\System Volume Information folder,
make sure that you are in the root folder of drive C (at a "C:\" prompt).
3. Type the following line, and then press ENTER:
cacls "driveletter:\System Volume Information" /E /G username:F
Make sure to type the quotation marks as indicated.
This command adds the specified user to the folder with Full Control permissions.
4. Double-click the System Volume Information folder in the root folder to open it.
5. If you need to remove the permissions after troubleshooting, type the following
line at a command prompt:
cacls "driveletter:\System Volume Information" /E /R username
This command removes all permissions for the specified user.
The following steps also work if you restart the computer to Safe mode because
simple file sharing is automatically turned off when you run the computer in Safe mode.
1. Open My Computer, right-click the System Volume Information folder, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Security tab.
3. Click Add, and then type the name of the user to whom you want to give access to the folder.
Typically, this is the account with which you are logged on.
4. Click OK, and then click OK again.
5. Double-click the System Volume Information folder to open it.
Also as a precaution the windows\system32\WPA.DBL and WPA.BAK should be copied to a floppy before doing a repair install.
For more information see Alex Nichol's article on XP activation.